Wife Of Man Killed in CO Theater Sues Doctor For Not Putting Shooter on Hold

By |January 16, 2013

The widow of a man killed in the Aurora, Col., theater shooting sued the University of Colorado psychiatrist who was treating alleged killer James Holmes, saying she should have had him placed on a 72-hour psychiatric hold, reports the Denver Post. Chantel Blunk, wife of Jonathan Blunk, filed suit in U.S. District Court in Denver against University of Colorado Denver, Dr. Lynne Fenton and five unnamed defendants. The university has “nothing but sympathy for the victims, but in the initial review of this case the university believes the lawsuit is not well-founded legally or factually,” university spokeswoman Jacque Montgomery said. She said the university has received notice that 11 similar suits could be filed.

On June 11, less than a month before the July 20 rampage that killed 12 and injured 70, Holmes told Fenton “that he fantasized about killing a lot of people,” the suit said. Fenton alerted the university’s Behavioral Evaluation and Threat Assessment team about Holmes but went no further, the suit said. When campus police officer Lynn Whitten asked Fenton if she should apprehend Holmes and place him on a psychiatric hold,” Fenton is reported to have rejected the idea.”

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